Transparency International -Kenya national corruption perceptions survey / One Year On: Do Kenyans Trust the Grand Coalition Government?

NAIROBI, Kenya, March 9, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Grand Coalition Government in Kenya seems to be losing the war against corruption. In the wake of widespread starvation and rising costs of living, TI-Kenya’s National Corruption Perceptions Survey shows that many Kenyans believe the government has the power, the ability but not the will to tackle corruption. Parliament stands especially indicted in the failure to uphold the common good.

The survey, which sought to assess the perceptions of Kenyans as regards progress on the war against corruption one year after the formation of the Grand Coalition, was conducted amongst a random sample of 1000 respondents between February and March of this year. TI-Kenya released its findings today at a launch presided over by the Chair of the International Board of Directors, Huguette Labelle.

Coinciding with reports of massive graft within the maize and oil sectors, the survey sought to establish whether the Kenyan citizen maintains confidence in the expressed intention of the Coalition to tackle corruption. The survey indicates a prevailing belief that the anti corruption agenda is being constrained by an apparent lack of political will: “The entire state has been captured to a certain extent by corrupt interests. Nearly every institution of governance and service delivery is working in the interest of a small group of people who profit from it,” said Job Ogonda, Executive Director, Transparency International-Kenya

Key findings include:

Most Kenyans surveyed would like to see more and conclusive prosecutions of individuals implicated in mega scandals

The majority have lost confidence in the collective will of the current parliament to effectively address corruption

The re-emergence of post-election violence is viewed as highly likely should the current administration fail to effectively institute anti-corruption reforms

TI-Kenya would like to urge the Coalition Government to demonstrate commitment to their publicly expressed intentions for public sector reform. Specifically, the government must put in place:

An urgent constitutional dispensation that allows for independence in key government oversight institutions to facilitate transparency and accountability as outlined in Agenda Item 4 of the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation Framework

Immediate and conclusive action to prosecute the alleged cases of malfeasance and misappropriation in the public sector

TI-Kenya further urges every citizen to continue to monitor the priorities of the 10th parliament as the country awaits the 2012 elections.